Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates primarily to the treatment of subcutaneous muscles and overlying skin, particularly for faces that have developed prominent lines such as the nasolabial folds, hanging of tissue from the mandibular region, and increased sagging of tissue around the eyes observed in aging and other conditions such as myasthenia gravis, but also for the treatment of other bodily areas wherein sagging is observed, such as in the chest and breast region, and the upper arms and legs. The invention provides methods for treating subcutaneous muscles and the overlying epidermis to ameliorate these changes, and improve a person""s external appearance. It also provides methods for preserving a person""s youthful appearance.
2. Description of Related Art
The external wrinkled appearance of aging individuals is caused by changes in both epidermal tissue and subcutaneous changes in muscle tissue. In aging, the epidermis thins and skin appendages atrophy. Hair becomes sparse and sebacious secretions decrease, with consequent susceptibility to dryness, chapping, and fissuring. The regularity of tissue structure is lost, and individual cells enlarge, but the total number of cells decreases approximately 30%. Intercellular collagen and elastin increases. The proportion of soluble collagen decreases, and there may be increased cross-linking between long-chain collagen macromolecules. Elastin loses its discrete structure and elasticity and has an increased calcium content.
Changes in underlying muscle tissue accompany changes in the epidermis. When muscles are at rest, a certain amount of tautness usually remains. The residual degree of contraction in skeletal muscles is called muscle tone. In aging individuals, the degree of contraction relaxes. The effects of gravity and lengthening muscles give a sagging appearance, which is particularly obvious in the face.
Previous treatments of flaccid skin and muscles from aging typically involved plastic surgery. The plastic surgeon cuts the skin and muscle and then pulls it taut, reducing some of the tissue and discarding it, then suturing it so that the facial, chest, arm, leg, and/or buttocks muscles remain tight. More recently, I suggested the use of topical compositions that penetrate the skin and shorten subcutaneous muscles, resulting in a lift in tissue on the face, chest, upper arms, upper legs or other areas of application, while at the same time improving the overall condition of the overlying skin. The compositions contain acetylcholine precursors such as alkanolamines and/or ingredients that produce catecholamine activity such as catecholamines and related compounds, alone or in combination with other ingredients and percutaneous penetration enhancers (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,554,647 and 5,879,690 to Perricone; these patents and others cited hereafter are expressly incorporated herein in their entireties by reference). While not wishing to be bound to any theory, these active ingredients seem to cause muscle contraction biochemically as described in my patents.
It would be desirable to provide treatments that augment topical compositions and reverse or diminish the effects of aging without cosmetic surgery, and to treat other conditions exhibiting sagging muscles such as those observed in myasthenia gravis.
It is an objective of the invention to provide new methods for the treatment of aging and sagging skin and subcutaneous muscle tissue. This is achieved by topically applying to overlying skin areas a composition containing at least one acetylcholine precursor such as an alkanolamine and/or at least one compound having catecholamine activity and then electronically stimulating the area with a muscle stimulator for a time sufficient to cause an observable increase in muscle tone. Preferred embodiments employ both an acetylcholine precursor such as dimethylaminoethanol or the calcium salt of 2-aminoethanol phosphate and a compound having catecholamine activity such as tyrosine, phenylalanine, dopa, or serotonin in the topical composition. Many embodiments also contain adjunct ingredients such as xcex1-hydroxy acids (e.g., glycolic acid), a fatty acid ester of ascorbic acid (e.g., ascorbyl palmitate), and/or lipoic acid. Electronic stimulation is affected in preferred embodiments using a hand device that delivers subcutaneous muscle stimulation through electrodes in the fingertips.